June Dining Out Challenge: Week #4 June 30, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : monthly challenge , add a commentThat’s it, we’re done!
I went $10 over … which I’m happy about, but I also know that I could have hit my mark had I kept a little tighter watch on what I was spending.
On one last note, have you signed up for the July Transportation Challenge yet? This will be the last time I’ll host my monthly challenge. If anyone wants to take over and host the next one, please let me know. :)
How did you do this month with the June Dining Out Challenge?
- ASHLEY – $72/$75
- beautifulreality – $156/$100
- Jude – $128/$100
- krystalatwork – $210/$200
- Meli – $114.04/$100
- otherdeb – $147.48/$150
- Strange Bird - $122/$125
It is too hot to be living June 30, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : miscellaneous , add a commentI literally walked 2 blocks this morning to go to the bridal store to get fitted for the bridesmaid dress … and by the time I got there, I was sweating. No joke. I kind of felt sorry for the woman who had to measure me.
And this is why I hate the summer. It’s just too hot. I can’t go anywhere without feeling disgusting and uncomfortable.
So I’m sitting here on my computer, all my windows and my door are wide open, a fan is blowing directly into my face, I’m downing a cold beer, and I’m still about to pass out from the heat.
Not cool, Mother Nature. Not cool at all.
Camping pictures June 30, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : travel , add a commentWow, what an awesome hiking trip! We got back yesterday afternoon, and literally, all we could do was eat and rehydrate ourselves – it was disgustingly hot this weekend.
BF looks like a lobster from all the sun he got this weekend, and I’m quite sore from carrying that backpack all weekend long … but as soon as we left, all we wanted to do was go back there again. :)
Anyway, here are some pictures I took from the trip!
The next morning, we were on our way to our final destination. 5 hrs. of hiking later, we reached Widgeon Lake – which, p.s. is probably the nicest place I’ve ever camped.
The campsite was perfect. There was a massive flat rock which we put our tent and all of our gear onto. At the base of the rock was a fire pit … which we didn’t use, but it would be nice I bet in the winter.
I had a ton of fun, and my new gear worked out perfectly. I’m definitely pleased with all of my purchases, and I can’t wait for our next hiking/camping trip next month!
This is a view of our campsite from a distance (you can kind of see the tent poking out).
And you know, it wasn’t even cold. I was wearing my tank top for pretty much the entire time we were there – except for the late evening and early morning.
BF went exploring along the shore line. You had to be careful with the snow, so you didn’t punch through with your boot. I only punched through once, but it was kind of sketchy in places, what with the snow melting and everything.
Anyway, I’m a little sad to be back, but we’ll go there again, and we’ll have a lot more camping and hiking to do this year. Besides, tomorrow is the big baseball game! We’re leaving quite early tomorrow morning (probably around 6am) to try to beat the rush to the border.
Gone for the weekend June 27, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : entertainment, travel , add a comment
Well in a couple of hours I’ll be leaving to catch the SkyTrain to meet BF. Our camping journey begins with a 1 hr. canoe trip this evening … and then tomorrow apparently it’s about a 4 hr. hike to the lake (all steep and up hill), where our final destination will be. It might take us longer because I’m slow, and he says it’ll be the hardest hike I’ve ever been on. I’m a little nervous, but am getting really excited to go!
We get back Sunday evening … the Monday I have off. I have to still get fitted for my bridesmaid dress, and then probably do some grocery shopping. Then on Tuesday (Canada Day), it’s off to Seattle for the Blue Jays/Mariners game! I went to the store today on my lunch break and bought a massive Canadian flag to either wear as a cape, or a top, or a dress – depending on the weather, my mood, and how big the flag turns out to be. So if you happen to be at the game, and you see a petite little girl with dark hair and a huge Canadian flag, screaming and heckling the crap out of the Mariners from behind the visiting team’s dugout … that’d be me. :) Well, maybe for BF’s sake, I won’t be screaming and heckling. I also didn’t make huge signs to hold, like I usually do. I’ll practically be on my best behaviour. I even contemplated buying red thunder sticks with maple leafs all over them … but then decided that’s just going overboard. It’s one thing to be drunk and obnoxious and loud, but it’s another thing to be drunk and obnoxious and loud AND have stupid thunder sticks. Although they would have been aces to have.
Anyway if you’re Canadian – then Happy Canada Day! I hope that you were able to get Monday off so that you could enjoy the long weekend. And if you’re not Canadian, then I hope you have a fabulous weekend. :) I’ll be back posting either Sunday evening or on Monday.
I don’t want to settle June 27, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : job , add a comment
There haven’t been any good jobs advertised in the last 2 days. It’s kind of depressing. But I’m keeping a positive approach to this whole situation. I just started seriously looking for work a few weeks ago, after all.
I told BF that I don’t want to settle for a job that doesn’t pay me the salary that I want. I think he thinks I’m being silly when I told him the salary range I’m looking for. I don’t think I’m entitled to a certain salary, but I do think that if I’m patient, I’ll get what I’m looking for. And it’s not like I haven’t gotten jobs in that salary range – I’ve gotten 3 jobs in that salary range before – one I got fired from for being a piss poor writer (even though writing wasn’t even in the job description!) and not fitting in, one was a 1-year contract, and the other I turned down. So it can happen. I just need to wait.
And no, it’s not always about the money … it’s about the experience that the company will give me – and it’s about being happy at my job. But with the goals that I’ve set for myself over the next few years, no matter how fulfilling my job is, I don’t think I would be happy if I wasn’t getting adequately compensated. Does that make me an awful person?
I feel like so many times, people sell themselves short. They settle for the low paying job because that’s all they think they’re worth – or they don’t ask for the raise because they’re too scared. I might be shy and timid in some aspects of my life, but in the work place, I ask for what I want. Maybe that might be considered conceited or greedy or righteous, or me being a bitch … and you might be right. But if you don’t ask for what you want, you won’t get it, right?
The bottom line, drop-dead salary I would consider would be $42k – what I’m making right now. The job market is flush with employers desperate to hire competent, skilled employees, and I’m fairly confident that if I keep searching, I’ll find a position that pays me what I’m ideally looking for (around $48-50k). And I don’t think that’s unreasonable either.
July Monthly Goals June 27, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : monthly goals , add a comment- Successfully complete the July Transportation Challenge. I’ve allotted myself $150 to spend on transportation costs. This includes trips to Seattle, Bowen Island, camping with BF, camping with Z, and 1/2 of a road trip to Kelowna. Yikes.
- Make an extra $150. I’m hoping to get paid out for at least some of my mystery shopping … because I only have about $35 coming from PPP so far for July.
- $500 into Travel Fund. This month I actually anticipate depositing $800 into the Travel Fund ($500 is coming from owed money) … but I’m traveling a lot this month, so I hope to at least keep $500 of that deposited money in the account by the end of the month.
- $400 into Retirement Portfolio. Slowly, I’ll reach my portfolio goal of $22k this year.
- $150 into Emergency Fund. I should start to make this a priority.
- $300 into Condo Down Payment Fund. I keep telling myself that I should start some sort of automatic deposit into this account, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
- Weigh less than 130 lbs. Seriously. I’m embarrassed to be seen in my bikini right now. I’m around 135 lbs at the moment, so I don’t have a long way to go … and my ideal weight is about 125 lbs. The picture on my sidebar has me at about the weight I’m at right now.
- Switch my cell phone over to a local Vancouver number. I’ve been living here for over 5 months. It’s time to bite the bullet and change the frigging number.
- Do something social with someone new. I’m actually really proud of myself. I’ve got myself a couple of friends here in Vancouver already, and I’m feeling happy. I want to make sure that I keep putting myself out there though. I’m naturally quite shy, so by stepping outside of my comfort zone, perhaps I’ll gain a new friend or two in the process. :)
Dining out for free June 26, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : mystery shopping , add a commentMy next mystery shopping assignment is for a restaurant. I don’t get paid for the assignment, but I get a $60 gift certificate for the meal … so basically a free dinner for 2. $60 at this particular restaurant should get BF and I our main courses, a starter, dessert, plus taxes & tip … as long as we choose from the menu wisely. :)
June Goals: My Review June 26, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : monthly goals , add a commentJune Goals (end of month review):
- Successfully complete the June Dining Out Challenge. No. Damnit. I’m like $10 over. :( Boo! Oh well. I’m leaving to go camping tomorrow afternoon, so at least I won’t have the chance to do anymore damage for rest of the month.
- Get my raise processed at work. Sort of? Well, I mean … my raise finally got processed. It just wasn’t what was discussed.
- $100 into Emergency Fund. No. Well … no. I deposited $200 and then promptly took out $170. So I really only added $30. :(
- $200 into Travel Fund. No. I took out $800 to pay for all of my hiking/camping gear that I’ve purchased. Also, going forward I’ve bumped my bi-weekly contributions up from $100 to $150 … and by the end of next week I should be able to replace $500 of the $800 I took out.
- $400 into Retirement Portfolio. Check!
- $200 into Condo Down Payment Fund. Check!
- Hang out with 3 different people who live in Vancouver. Check! I hung out with Z, an old friend from high school, and a bunch of people from work.
- Make an extra $100. Check! I made $113.24 from PPP. I also made $280 from mystery shopping, but I haven’t been paid out for that yet … so I didn’t count it.
- Weigh less than 130 lbs. No. Sigh. I really need to get going with this.
Tomorrow I’ll post my July goals … and I’m promising that I’ll do better next month than I did this month. I think this is the only month since I started this PF blog where I’ve spent more than I’ve saved. :)
